


My legs don't work like they used to

by Im_a_kitchen_sink



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Boarding School, M/M, disabled!tyler, smol amount of fluff later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-10-06 07:00:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10328693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Im_a_kitchen_sink/pseuds/Im_a_kitchen_sink
Summary: Tyler, a 16 year old with paralysis in his legs gets sent to a Christian boarding school after being homeschooled all his life. What will he make of this new place? And will he finally make some proper friends after spending most of his life with no social life?





	1. Life is harsh but not harsh enough

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so this is another fanfic. The first chapter is short but there's more to come soon hopefully :^)
> 
> It's my first time writing in people's povs so yeah ;-;

* * *

**Tyler's POV**

Today was different from all those other days I woke up to. I felt like a train without a track. Anxiety bubbled inside me like a cauldron, threatening to bubble over.

It was my first day of school. Yeah, you heard me right. Ive never been to school.  
16 years old and still never been near a school. Pretty impressive and weird at the same time. That's because I've been homeschooled all my life because of myself. My body. I'm disabled. Born with life affecting birth defects. My legs are paralysed and yeah, I can't really do shit without having to ask my mom.  
Want the peanut butter jar on the shelf I can't reach? Gotta ask my mom.  
Want to go outside by myself but can't open the goddamn door? Gotta ask my mom.     Can't get upstairs or downstairs? Gotta get mom's help.

The list goes on and on and it sounds shitty and pathetic because it probably is. I feel like a fucking burden to my poor mom. She has like 3 other kids to look after, a part time job and a role as my caregiver. It must fucking suck and I honestly don't blame her for having such a shitty life. You see, it would be easier on her but she doesn't have a husband anymore. After I passed my 1st year of life on this planet he sorta disappeared from our lives. My mom had a fight with him over my care. He didn't take care of me right and apparently muttered a lot of incoherent slurs, calling me the runt of the family, the burden of problems, the retarded spastic, the one who would surely put the family to shame.

My mom had enough of him one day after he drank one too many beers and tried to pull my IVs out (I was very vulnerable at the time, going through a shit ton of operations to try and restore me to being a normal human). My mom tried to stop him but then he abused her. Kicking her and shit and saying I deserved it and so did she for trying to save me. He ran out of the house and didn't come back again. As for my mom, she called an ambulance and managed to save me from the brink of death.

He occasionally calls time to time now to say hi to his favourite 'kiddos', catches up with news in the family and tries to persuade my mom to get back together with him, saying that he was wrong for his actions and he swore he would never do it again but my mom often got angry over this part of the phone call and threatens to block his number every time. As for me? I suppose I could forgive him. I'm still not sure though. Everyone makes me believe he is a sinner and he doesn't deserve me for what he did was apparently 'out of order and unacceptable behaviour' but as what people have told me before, sometimes it's good to clear up the bad, forget what has happened and give people a second chance.  
Sometimes I see him in real life and he has definitely cleared up his act. He goes to church again, gave up on drinking and smoking and even has a stable job that pays the rent and bills. He is polite and well mannered and even keeps a good appearance. He always apologises to me when I see him too which seems stupid, but I can tell it means something. After almost killing your oldest child, calling them the cause of stupidity and then abusing your faithful wife under the effects of alcohol, I can tell he can never let go of these things and it sticks around with him like a bad nightmare or a nasty messaged sticky note superglued onto his back. I don't get to see him often because my mom is scared he'll fuck up again and hurt me but when I do, it's a golden chance to connect with him and catch up on things. It's sad I didn't grow up with a proper father but I'm happy I still see him...


	2. We seem okay but we aren't

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tyler's POV again XD  
> have fun ;)

**Still Tyler's POV**

As I was saying though, I'm scared for today.

I'm being shipped off to some fancy assed Christian boarding school that's all high tech and stuff and even has a specialised 'special needs' department that sounds cool but honestly, it sounds like hell to me.

It's called St Rowans Religious school for Young People and its like, 50 miles away from where we live. My mom didn't want to enrol me into a mainstream state school saying that my 'learning disorders were too complicated to be handled by staff like them and you deserve the best start to adulthood life' but what she is really saying is that she has been looking up too many unrealistic shitty horror stories, news reports and blog posts of people talking and complaining about how their kids don't fit in and how staff treat them terribly and that she doesn't look on the good side of things, therefore scaring herself and instead using it as an excuse to save up money for a scholarship for me to go to some high end state of the art school for posh pricks and disabled kids that I honestly would rather die than go to.

I appreciate the efforts my mom goes to to get me a good education and a good start in life considering metaphorically I basically started a mile back from the starting line, but really, I don't need this shit. I just wanna do equations or write poems at my kitchen table with my mom looking over me while I do so because that is the education I want.

You probably think I'm really selfish but I haven't been exposed to other kids much in my lifetime and so making new friends and coping with a whole new aspect to education is hard for me. Not to forget my shitty anxiety. The only friends I have are the ones around my neighbourhood but they are either younger than me or older than me so I never really had permanent friends because no one wanted to be friends with the spaz or were too young to understand and I got bored of their 'let's play pretend' games.

You see, I couldn't do much alone and outside of my house so lots of people got fed up with me a lot, finding that wheeling me to the park and back was more of a chore than a fun social activity.

You never know though, I could possibly get some friends at this 'school' or it could be a chance for me to become the punchbag and get bullied like what my mom is scared of.

Oh well, I better try for my mom as much as I don't want to because after secretly looking at the letters the school have sent her about payment, this is proper high class shit and I don't want my mom's money going to waste. She's been saving up for God knows how long just to get me a proper education. It's sweet and kind she's doing this for me. I just wish I could pay her back for her generosity. My siblings don't get this in their life. Just me. They go to the usual, boring state school. They don't mind as long as they get the grades they want but to me I feel out of place. The special one who is a fucking needy, selfish cunt. The one who needs to take from others in order to thrive. It feels wrong but they seem to be okay with it.

When I had my seizures or I was badly ill, Mom would always take time off to care for me rather than shipping me off to a hospital and this was on a part time job. Income for the family is slow and my poor brothers and sisters often get hand-me downs for clothes and toys. Zack and Maddy are already having to work sometimes too just to help keep us financially afloat occasionally. The cash they earn used as a safety buffer to the family's main income. It's sad. I can't even help pay my own hospital bills because I'm stuck in a wheelchair. My mom often goes asking for money off my kind, rich and generous grandparents (normally when I'm stuck in the hospital or something unexpected happens like our fridge breaks down) who are thankfully still working time to time too. They seem fine with it. They realise we need it more than they do and give it 'out of the generosity of God'. My mom makes sure she doesn't make them in debt though. Only taking small amounts of cash when desperately needed.

I just wish my father never left us sometimes and acted like such a dick to my mom and me. Life is really cruel and harsh. For us, certainly. I sometimes think to myself that maybe if I didn't exist, our family wouldn't have to suffer the constant nightmares of unpaid rent or high mortgage rates or even that incident of why Dad left us to fend for ourselves in the first place...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, another chapter! Wowza! Well I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I will get moving on with the main story soon but being the little shit I am I wanted to give you more info on Tyler's family background and fill you in on a tad more about his character so sorry to those of you who wanted this fic to pick up the pace XD. 
> 
> Also, I'm thinking of making a tumblr account and I want to know your views on it! I just think it will be cool cause you could get to know me as a writer and professional fangirl better. I would post memes and updates on stuff on it and yeah leave a comment if you think it's a good idea or not :3
> 
> And finally, as always, please leave kudos and comments and stuff! It helps motivate me to write more and let's me know you are enjoying this fic!  
> I'm gonna try and post another chapter tomorrow or sooner so keep a lookout!


	3. Learn to face it. School is soon.

**Tyler's POV (yet again XD)**

After dreaming and trying to get myself to calm down from all of this anxiety, I finally opened my eyes.

I glanced at my clock, the fluorescent green numbers saying 7:30am. I was leaving at 10am. I had two and a half hours. All I wanted to do really was go back to sleep so I did. Well, I tried at least. Maybe this was all a bad dream. Maybe I would forget this would happened.

My mom must've sensed I was awake because she came into my room minutes after parading around the place telling me to get up.

"Come on Ty, your first day of school is today. Get up lazy bones." she smiled.

"Ugh, really? 'm-tired mom." I mumbled into my bed

"Really, Tyler Robert? Cut the attitude now, you can't do this when you're there. For a start you won't have me to tell you to get out of your bed every morning and two, you have a fixed timetable. The school day starts at half past eight and ends at four o'clock. You can't be late for lessons." She scolded while opening the curtains by my windows.

_Fucking great. Thanks, mom._

"Mom!" I screeched as light flooded the room, light burning through my half-closed eyelids.

"What Ty? All I'm doing is getting you some sunlight. You need it. You're an antisocial teenager who thinks it's acceptable to lounge in their room for as long as they desire. Not today, Tyler Robert. It's a fresh start for you. Now stop acting like a vampire before I decide maybe we should open some windows to air this room too." She complained.

"Mom, it's not even eight am yet. Gimme five. Don't even DARE open that damn window either. And close those fucking curtains while you're at it." I mumbled angrily although it looked clear that Mom had won this battle.

"Nope you've had your time. No cussing either, Tyler. I wish you'd stop that. Your siblings are already up and downstairs and helping to pack the last of your belongings. At least do them the pleasure of showing your face at the breakfast table and thanking them."

"Mom, I could've packed myself. You didn't need them to do it." I groaned.

"Ty, look at you. Here you are refusing to get up and now you're saying you want to pack everything yourself? Honey, you're disabled, remember. Your legs don't work. You can barely get up and down the stairs by yourself and doing a lot of simple tasks tire you out easily. Remember when you wanted to help me clean and ended up having to take a lie down while hooked up to your oxygen tank for the next hour or so because you felt lightheaded after trying to attempt to dust the house? At least let us have the common courtesy to help you out on your last day of being in Columbus for the next month or so."

"That was when I was unwell! I just wanted to help you out like a good son!"

"You were putting your life and health at risk, _Tyler_." She warned.

"....." I stayed silent. I couldn't think of a good enough comeback. She was sorta right on that one. She was debating on calling an ambulance because I was struggling to breathe properly and my body was exhausted as fuck but then but Maddy found my emergency oxygen tank and mask in my cupboard before my mom even found her phone. I basically almost died because I put myself at risk for trying to do something when my doctor specifically put me on bed rest for the next 3 weeks.

"All right then. You're going to refuse but I'm getting you up anyhow. Besides I've made you something nice in the kitchen because it's your last day. You sure wouldn't want it to get cold, Ty." She said as she pulled my blanket off me, revealing me in a sort of curled state in my bed. The cold instantly hit my bare skin, like daggers making me flinch. _Why_ the hell did I think it was a good idea to go to sleep in just my underwear again?

She walked over to my now just about empty cupboard and pulled out one of my old t-shirts and a pair of basketball shorts and tossed it all to me. It was as if she read my mind. Or she probably looked at me and noticed my body language. She helped me sit up and I slid the garments on with some help from her.

"There, now you're more presentable to your siblings." She smiled. Okay, maybe she thought different.

"Mom, I've only just woken up. Plus it's just my freaking chest that seems to be the problem. I don't have boobs like you. Zack and Maddy won't mind. I'm pretty sure I look sexy topless too." I said, trying to reason with her.

"No buts, Tyler. Going down to breakfast in just your underwear isn't acceptable in this household and you know it. Do it all you want when you sleep but you know when you wake up you have to look presentable. In this house, at least. Especially in your teenage ways with all those hormones flying around. No excuses for not looking up to scratch. I'm not letting Jay catch your lazy habits." She tutted like the mother she was.

"Moooom, stop it." I moaned. I desperately didn't want a repeat of 'the talk' about male puberty from my mom at half past seven in the fucking morning. Plus where the fuck did she get the hint/idea that I woke up with boners every morning? Sure enough, she did see me in just my boxer shorts to get me up every day but since when did I, the single guy who is certainly not sexually attracted to anyone and doesn't get hard over random people wake up with an erection everyday? If I knew, I'd have it taken care of before my mom found out to save embarrassment. All of this was making me blush a bright shade of red. She definitely needed to move topic before I exploded of humiliation.

She gave a false chuckle and helped me onto my sling lift before elevating me and moving me downstairs. As I was lowered down the stairs in my sling, the sweet smell of pancakes drifted through the air. So _this_ was what mom was talking about. Sounds good to me. She lowered me into my wheelchair and pushed me into the kitchen where my brothers were making a mess of my suitcase. I had to let out a slight chuckle at their efforts before remembering that I would probably have to sort it later. I'm gonna miss my family so much. It was little things like this that made me appreciate and like my family more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay! Another chapter! I cringed while writing this and I still am. It sounds really bad XD. I'm busy writing the next chapter right now so I might post an extra one today or I'll post it tomorrow. Also, I'm sorry if this doesn't seem realistic to real life situations. I swear on my ao3 account that I'm not trying to offend anyone. Im not a living dictionary on disabilities so I may get facts wrong time to time. If it bothers you, then please comment and I'll try my best to fix it. Other than that, go along with it because it probably won't be perfect. :^)
> 
> As always, please leave kudos and comments! It encourages me to write more and keep interest in writing this fic!


	4. Blueberry pancakes and syrup

**Tylers POV (I'm sorry I'll stop with his POV soon XD)**

 

"You almost done, Zacky?" My mom called.

"Um sorta. I might need a hand, mom. Jay crumpled up one of Tyler's hoodies and I don't know how to fold these t-shirts up again plus we might need another bag." He replied.

"Okay let me get Tyler settled at the table with some food and I'll come and help you out."

She pushed my chair into the table and brought out a carton of orange juice and a glass.

"Go pour yourself some juice while I serve up your pancakes, honey."

"Okay mom."

She busied herself at the grill, taking my warm blueberry pancakes out of the oven and putting them on a plate. She brought them over and got out the maple syrup and butter for me. She knows me best.  
It's a weird combination with blueberries and maple syrup, but I like it. Tastes like heaven. All this thinking of delicious homemade breakfasts made me ponder of what this new _school's_ food would be like. It would probably taste, smell and look like dog shit. That's what Maddy and Zack say about their school's food anyway.  
I savoured every bite of my meal knowing what could come to me. This could well be the last time I would be eating/tasting proper heavenly food again for the next few months.

"Thanks, mom."  I finally murmur through bites of pancakes.

I didn't realise I was _this_ hungry. Oh well, it's for the energy I'm gonna need to get me through this hell of a day.

"No problem, Ty. I'll be next door if you need me. I'm just going to go help out your brothers. Don't worry about us or what those two have to say. I'll make sure it's all sorted out for you and that you have everything you need and want to take with you. Just you eat those pancakes up, honey."

"Okay."

I smiled at her before she turned around and walked out of the kitchen leaving me to tuck into the rest of the half-eaten sugary pile of sweetness in front of me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay another chapter! (cryin bc it's short af) Anyways, I would've had this posted yesterday but I ran out of time and shit happened. However it is posted now and I might be able to add another new chapter tomorrow too (fingers crossed) but I might not bc I might be crying over my shitty math test results which I believe I've completely fucked up on because I'm a salty bitch who procrastinates over revising (praying I get into a smart class next year XD). However, this story is seeming slow at the moment but v soon I hope to get this drama show on the road and get ty shipped to his crappy new school! ;) 
> 
> If this doesn't get updated tomorrow you know why (above) and it's probably because I might be writing more for 'Am I the only one?' (I'm hoping to get that shit fired back up from being inactive)
> 
> Please leave comment and kudos and stuff if you enjoyed this chapter or the work so far!


	5. Maddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidently posted the wrong chapter so here's the right one lol
> 
> I can't write a good chapter name for this chapter sorry XD

As I was eating, my sister, Madison walked through the kitchen. She didn't notice me. Instead, too engrossed in some book she was reading. It was only when she looked up to grab an apple from the fruit bowl she acknowledged me. She looked like she almost fucking pissed herself or had a heart attack. The situation was priceless and funny.

"Tyler!" She said with a shocked and almost angry expression.

"What about me?" I said jokingly with a grin. I wanted to test to see how far she'd go like usual.

"You scared the living daylights outta me! You made me almost lose my chapter!"

"Maybe you should look up and check where you're going then, eh?"

"You didn't make a sound or even say hi to me. You just decided to act as if you didn't exist, Tyler."

I gave a grunt of disbelief before putting a forkful of warm pancakes in my mouth.

"Oh, so that was what that smell was?" She asked.

"Hmm?" I murmured.

"Yeah, your special pancakes."

"Did you get any, Maddy?" I asked.

"Yeah, mom cooked us three a plain batch 2 hours ago while you were still dozing off in bed." Maddy said.

"Come on! Gimme a break! I'm a freaking teenager! I need my sleep!" I complained.

Maddy gave a sigh before replying.

"Wish I could do what I want like you. All you do is worship that mattress of yours. But I'll have you know that there is more to life than wasting it in a bedroom. So maybe I have the upper hand here."

"There's more than just sleeping that you can do in that room, Madison." I said wiggling my eyebrows up and down

I swear she almost choked on what I said.

She gave me an unimpressed look before saying really sarcastically, "Oh hahahahahahaha you think you're so funny Tyler. Honestly you are so immature. Seriously, act your age, not your IQ."

"Hmph. Maybe my IQ is really high though" I said, crossing my arms looking tough as possible. 

"lol, really? You got evidence to suggest that you might have a high IQ? I don't think so. I win, Tyler."

"I'll get you back, Madison. Anyway, what the hell have you been doing? I thought you were supposed to be helping those two dunces out?" I asked.

"They didn't want my help so I just went to go take a shower before Mom would go and help bathe you. Which should be soon by the way." She said, looking at my almost empty plate of breakfast.

"Fair enough." I said as I polished off the last bite of my pancake.

"Oh yeah, Ty. Once you're all changed into proper clothes and washed, I-i um, have something I wanna give to you before you leave." She said shyly. 

"What?" I said, slightly confused and dumbstruck

"That's for you to find out, silly" she winked with a grin before walking off. Goddamnit. Fuck her. Why does she make me, the impatient one wait? Like seriously? What the actual motherfucking, fuck, Maddy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said, I posted the wrong thing because i wasn't paying attention but it's all fixed now lmao.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and sorry to you all that have been waiting for and update to this. I've just had no time for posting anything on ao3 partly because school drains me and i end up being unable to write or edit stuff properly.
> 
> however I know I've sort of given up with this stuff but I do promise that I should be able to get the next chapter up soon in between revising for my math test so yea 
> 
> Please leave kudos and bookmark this fic if you like it!  
> :D
> 
> say his to me on wattpad if ya want: tyler_joseph_is_bae  
> or stalk me on Instagram if you'd rather: _dolphin_dad_

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this. Sorry it's short and the fact that this chapter doesn't really tell much but it should get better. if any of this seems too unrealistic please tell me so I can try to avoid the mistake again. It probably won't be perfect in terms of real life but yeah this is a fanfic so I guess I write what I want in a way XD
> 
> Also I'm sorry about not updating my other fanfic. I'm sorta having writers block with that one and I needed to start somewhere fresh in terms of fics so I can get time to gather more ideas and convey them into chapters. However, I'm in the process of editing a chapter for it so it might come out soon but I have tests to revise for and my life is sort of turning to shit at the moment so I dunno _/(.-.)\\_
> 
> I have a wattpad account now too! I'm planning of uploading stuff from here on there too as backup and shit so the first few chaps from the other fic I'm failing with at the moment will be there soon and this fic is on there too. Also I'm planning of uploading oneshots there time to time so if you guys wanna follow or check it out I'll leave it below 
> 
> Username: tyler_joseph_is_bae
> 
> And as always, please leave comments and kudos! It helps motivate me to write more!


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